Applied mathematical methods in nuclear thermal hydraulics

Applied mathematical methods are used extensively in modeling of nuclear reactor thermal-hydraulic behavior. This application has required significant extension to the state-of-the-art. The problems encountered in modeling of two-phase fluid transients and the development of associated numerical solution methods are reviewed and quantified using results from a numerical study of an analogous linear system of differential equations. In particular, some possible approaches for formulating a well-proposed numerical problem for an ill-posed differential model are investigated and discussed. The need for closer attention to numerical fidelity is indicated